Psychology of Black Womanhood: Where Research Meets the Real World

Beyond Surviving... Black Women Thriving at Work

Black women are one of the most educated and fastest-growing segments of the U.S. workforce—yet they continue to face some of the most persistent challenges on the job. Across industries, Black women report higher levels of workplace dissatisfaction driven by pay inequity, limited advancement opportunities, racial and gender bias, and a lack of psychological safety. They are more likely to be underpaid compared to peers, overlooked for leadership roles, and expected to shoulder invisible labor such as diversity work without recognition or compensation. Many describe workplaces where they are present but not supported, visible but not valued. In this thought-provoking episode, we sit down with Dr. NiCole T. Buchanan to unpack the complex realities Black women face in today’s workplace. Dr. Buchanan is a Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University. A Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and four divisions of the American Psychological Association, she researches the interplay of race, gender and victimization and how they impact the nature of sexual and racial harassment, their impact, and organizational best practices.  To learn more about this episode, click here [https://www.psychologyofblackwomanhood.com/post/beyond-surviving-black-women-thriving-in-the-workplace].

Sisterhood on our Screens

Many of the most culturally resonant television shows and films centering the lives of Black women place our friendships at the heart of the story—think Survival of the Thickest, Girlfriends, Waiting to Exhale, Hidden Figures, Living Single, and Insecure. These narratives remind us that sisterhood is not a side plot but a central force: a space where Black women find joy, affirmation, conflict, healing, and growth.  These Black-centered portrayals are especially powerful when juxtaposed against how Black women so often appear in mainstream media, where we are frequently overlooked, flattened into stereotypes, or pushed to the margins of other people’s stories. In those spaces, our inner lives and our relationships with one another are rarely given depth or care. What’s missing is the fullness—the intimacy, vulnerability, and everyday tenderness that define real Black women’s friendships. In this episode, we explore why seeing Black women’s friendships on screen and in storytelling truly matters with Dr. Imani M. Cheers. An award-winning digital storyteller, director, producer, and filmmaker, Dr. Cheers is an Associate Professor of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University. A cultural curator, director, producer, activist and academic based in Washington, DC. she is the author of Sacred Sisterhoods: A Celebration of Black Women's Friendships on Television and in Film. Click here [https://www.psychologyofblackwomanhood.com/post/sisterhood-on-the-screens] for more information about this episode.

Black Women, Brazilian Butt lifts (BBL), and Social Media

The Brazilian butt lift, or BBL, is described by the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery, as a type of fat transfer designed to shape and enhance the buttocks. Basically during this cosmetic surgery fat is taken from one part of your body and moved to your butt to make it fuller and more lifted — no implants involved. While people of all backgrounds get cosmetic work done, BBLs have become especially popular among Black women. Unlike the Eurocentric beauty ideal that’s all about being super thin, a lot of Black women are drawn to what’s often called the “thick ideal” — that balance between slim and curvy. And with so many Black celebrities and influencers either getting BBLs, talking about them, or showing off those results on social media, it’s no surprise the trend has blown up and become part of the larger body image conversation. Since these platforms often shape beauty standards, spread information (and misinformation), and amplify cultural trends, it’s important to understand how they contribute to the way Black women share experiences, opinions, and perceptions of procedures like BBLs within their communities. In this episode, we sit down with Lauryn Grubbs, a doctoral student in the Human Centered Design Apparel Design program at Cornell University. Click here [https://www.psychologyofblackwomanhood.com/post/bbl-socialmedia] for more information about this episode.

Black Femicide: The Ultimate Health Disparity

In the wake of the of the murders of dentist and former First Lady of Virginia Cerina Fairfax [https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/justin-fairfax-wife-murder-suicide-virginia-annandale-virginia-killing/4091608/], Coral Spring Vice Mayor [https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/husband-shot-coral-springs-vice-mayor-wrapped-her-body-in-garbage-bags-police-say/3790196/]Nancy Metayer Bowe [https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/husband-shot-coral-springs-vice-mayor-wrapped-her-body-in-garbage-bags-police-say/3790196/]n, activist [https://www.them.us/story/black-trans-activist-and-drag-performer-shyyell-diamond-sanchez-mccray-killed-in-virginia]Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray [https://www.them.us/story/black-trans-activist-and-drag-performer-shyyell-diamond-sanchez-mccray-killed-in-virginia] and Pastor Tammy McCollum [https://www.qcnews.com/charlotte/lord-help-me-cms-employee-indicted-for-murder-after-admitting-to-shooting-wife-in-emotional-911-call/]—along with countless others— a devastating truth remains largely unexamined: Black women in the United States are being killed at alarmingly disproportionate rates. These are not isolated tragedies. They reflect a profound and ongoing public health crisis with life-and-death consequences. Black women are killed at rates 2 to 3 times higher than women of other races. And these deaths are rarely the result of random violence. More than half of Black women who were murdered were killed by a current or former intimate partner, and in nearly 90% of cases, the victim knew the person who took her life. In this episode, we talk withDr. Tameka Gillum, Associate Professor in The University of New Mexico College of Population Health (COPH). Dr. Gillum has over 25 years of research experience in exploring and addressing intimate partner violence/dating violence. She is also the author of the recent manuscript The murder of Black women in the United States: A Public Health Crisis. [https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2025.308010] For more information about this episode visit https://www.psychologyofblackwomanhood.com/post/black-femicide

Lady in the Streets & Freak in the Sheets: Navigating Good Girl/ Bad Girl Sexual Scripts

The “good girl/bad girl” sexual scripts Black women are expected to navigate create impossible double binds. From respectability politics and purity myths to hypersexual stereotypes and desirability, these scripts shape how Black women are seen, judged, and treated in intimate relationships and public life. Public figures like Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B make this tension especially visible—their images are often flattened into “hot girl” or “explicit” personas that don’t necessarily reflect the full reality of their lives or identities. Research shows that awareness of stigmatizing race-based sexual scripts influence sexual decision-making, sometimes reducing feelings of empowerment around safer sex practices and intimate relationship choices. This episode features Dr. Nikki Coleman, an award-winning licensed psychologist, sexologist, and founder of Dr. Nikki Knows, PLLC [https://www.drnikkiknows.com/]. A former tenured professor turned entrepreneur, her work blends cultural expertise and psychological depth. Click here [https://www.psychologyofblackwomanhood.com/post/goodgirl_badgirl] for more information about this episode.